Feed carriage for stencil-cutting machines



Jan, 6, 1925 Filed April 17., 1922 w 53% E E @355 5 E Ema MN, w g 5 .535a 5 56mg 5 5 gi Patented Jan. 6, i925.

WALT C. MARSH, OF BELLEVILLE, ILLINOIS.

FEED CARRIAGE FOR STENCIL-CUTTING MACHINES.

Application filed April 17, 1922. Serial No. 553,438.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VVALT C. MARSH, a citizen of the United States,resid ng at the city of 'Belleville, county of St. Clair, and State, ofIllinois, have invented a new and useful Feed Carriage forStencil-Cutting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in feed carriages for stencilcutting machines, and consists in the novel construction hereinafterdisclosed. An object of the invention is to provide a feed carriage fora stencil cutting machine arranged to be stepped laterally across thebed of the machine in stencil cutting operations, and being providedwith mechanism operable incident toithe return of the carriage to normalposition for moving the stencil sheet support forward for line spac-1ng.

Another object of the invention is to provide a feed carriage forstencil cutting machines havingan adjustment to and from cutting pointof the machine, with mechanism for automatically moving the stencilsheet support forward incident to a. return movement of the carriage,said mechanism being operable in the reverse direction manually foradjustment of the stencil sheet in intermediate positions.

Another object of the invention is to provide in connection with a feedcarriage for stencil cutting machines a novel means for clamping thestencil sheet in the stencil sheet support of the carriage.

Additional detailed advantages of theconstruction will be apparent fromthe following description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of the carriage embodying theinvention.

.Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view thereof.

- Fig. 3 is a detailed view of a portion of the mechanism for steppingthe stencil sheet support forward.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on the line 4- 1 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 1.

i In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawing thecarriage is made up of a plate 1 having a spaced series of depressedteeth 2, the series of teeth 2 constituting a rack which is a part ofthe transverse feed mechanism whereby the carriage is steppedacross thebed of the machine by suitable mechanism comprising a part of thestencil cutting machine proper and which is not illustrated as itforms'no part of the present invention. r

The carriage also includes a plate 3arranged on the top face of theplate 1, the plate 3 being-of less width than the plate 1 so as to forma recess whereby the carriage is mounted on rails of the stencil machinebed so that it will ride across the bed in true alinement. Thecarriagealso includes a top plate 4: that constitutes a support for thestencil sheet. The three plates 1, 3 and 4 are riveted together atspaced intervals by rivets 5.

A casting 6 is supported on the left end of the plate 4, said castingconstituting a housing for the stencil sheet support operating mechanismand also a housing for the stencil sheet support.' Y r The stencil sheetsupport includes an elongated rack plate 7 having rack teeth '8. on itsouter edge and a lateral plate 9- extending inwardly from the plate 7. Aspring plate 10 is secured to the upper face of the plate 9 near itsrearward edge by screws 11. This plate 10 is flexed slightly upwardly atthe central portion and .is flared outwardly at its forward end. Thestencil sheet 12 is received between the forward edge of the plate 10and the upper face of the plate 9 and is clamped in position by 'aclamping device comprising a thimble 13 mounted on a stud 14 supportedin the plate 9. The thimble 13 has a lateral projection or tooth 15across its bottom face, said tooth seating in a depression 16 formed inthe upper face of the plate 10. The thimble carries an arm 17 so thatthe thimble maybe turned on the stud 14. In the position shown in Fig. 5the thimble isso turned that the tooth15 seats in the .recess 16 inwhich positionthe spring plate sheet and securely hold the same in thestencil sheet support.

The casting 6 has located at its inner edge a stepped recess 19 in itsunder face, the

base of said recess being of less width than the lower portion thereof,The plate 7 has riveted to its upper face aplate 20, the plate havingoblique slits 2]. thereinso as to form tongues 22 that spring outwardlyfrom the sides of the plate. The casting 6 its over the plates 7 and 20so that the plate 20 rides in the narrow portion of the recess 19, whilethe plate 7 extends in the wider portions of the recess 19. It will benoted that the inner wall of the recess 19 terminates at the base of thenarrow portion of the recess so that the lower face of the wall,constituting the inner wall of the narrow portion of therecess 19 ridesagainst the upper face of the plate 7 adjacent to the inner edgeof theplate 20. The outward spring of the tongues 22, which it'will be notedare arranged on each side of the plate 20, frictionally engage againstthe side walls of the narrow portion of the recess 19 so as to hold thestencil sheet support in proper alinement in a forward and backwarddirection, so that it requires some power to move the stencil sheetsupport in either a forward or backwarddirection, thus preventing themovement of the stencil sheet support from its adjusted position by themere operation of the machine in the lateral stepping of the carriageacross the machine. In other words, sufiicient rigidity is imparted tothe stencil sheet support to hold it in its adjustedposition, therebypreserving the stencil sheet in proper alinement during the cuttingoperation of the machine.

It will be noted that there is an elongated slot 23 in the bottom wallof the recess 19 of the casting 6. A stud 2d attached to the plate 20projects through the slot, said stud 24 being formed with a finger pieceat its top whereby the stencil sheet support may be manually movedtoward and away from the cutting point of the machine for manualadjustment of the stencil sheet.

The carriage is provided with mechanism operable incident to the lateralmovement of the carriage to normal position for stepping the stencilsheet support forward. Thismechanism includes a stud 25 that extendsthrough and is supported by the plates 1, 3 and 4, said stud extendingupwardly through a housing 26 formed in the casting 6. Y

A -gear wheel 27 is revolubly mounted on the stud 25, said gear wheelbeing within the housing 26 of the casting 6 and in mesh with the rack8. The gear wheel 27 has attached to its upper face a ratchet wheel 28,said ratchet wheel having a series of spaced teeth formed thereon andwith which a pawl 29 cooperates for imparting an intermittent rotarymotion to the gear wheel 27, thereby moving the stencil sheet supportforward spaced distances. The pawl 29 carries a spring 30 which abutsagainst the side wall menses of the housing 26 and serves to hold thepawl in contact with the ratchet wheel 28. Within the housing 26 is anabutment 31 for the tail of the pawl 29, which abutment limits thereturn movement of the pawl so as to e'ifect the proper engagementthereof with the teeth of the ratchet 28. A handle comprising a bellcrank lever having a long arm 32 and a short arm 32 is pivoted on thestud 25, the hub 33 of the lever fitting r over the stud 25. The bellcranlr lever is provided with a hand piece 34 for manual engagement andthe. short arm of the lever carries a pin 35 that passes through a slot36 in the upper wall of the housing'26, said pin carrying the pawl 29 atits other end so that the pawl pivots on said pin 35.

Obviously as pressure is exerted on the hand piece 34 the bell cranklever is rocked thereby rotating the gear wheel 27 through the pawl andratchet connection, thus stepping the stencil sheet support forward apredetermined spaced distance. In order to effect the return movement ofthe handle to normal position a coil spring 37 is nested within athimble 38 mounted over the end of the stud 25, where it is held inplace by a nut 39 fitting over an upper threaded end 10 of the stud 25.The end of the coil spring 37 is seated in the hub 33 of the bell cranklever. v I

In the operation of the stencil machine in which the carriage is mountedthe feed carriage is stepped across the machine from right to left. Whenthe carriage has reached the limit of movement it is returned bypressure on the hand piece 34 which pressure not alone returns the feedcarriage to its starting point, but also advances the carriage inwardlya stepped distance for line adjustmentof the stencil sheet to thecutting point of the machine. Intermediate positions between the normalinward stepped movement of the stencil sheet support may be accomplishedby manually moving the stencil sheet support forwardly or rearwardly byengagement of the hand with the stud 24.

i am aware that the invention may be modified in certain particularswithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. I donot'limit myself therefore to the exact details of construction shownand described.

lVhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A feed carriage for stencil machines including a stencil sheetsupport movable toward and away from thecutting point of the machine, amounting for the support arranged to be set at any lateral position topresent the workto the cutting point at any point throughout the widthof the sheet and to frictionally hold the same in its set posi tion, andindependent manipulative means llt) connected with said mounting adaptedto space said support predetermined line spaces incident to the returnof the carriage to starting position.

2. A feed carriage for stencil machines, comprising a table for thestencil sheet, a stencil sheet support movable across the table havingmeans thereon for engaging the stencil sheet, a housing at one end ofsaid table, a guideway in the housing, a plate attached to the stencilsheet support operable in said guide way, means for adjusting thesupport transversely of said housing, and frictional means for holdingthe stencil sheet support against displacement after it has beenadjusted.

3. A feed carriage for stencil machines, comprising a table for thestencil sheet, a stencil sheet support movable across the table havingmeans thereon for engaging the stencil sheet, a housing at one end ofsaid table, aguide Way in the housing, a plate attached to the stencilsheet support operable in said guide way, means for adjusting thesupport transversely of said housing, frictional means for holding thestencil sheet support against displacement after it has been adjusted, ahandle carried by said housing, a vertical support for said handle, andconnecting means between the handle and said plat whereby said pressureon the handle to return the stencil sheet support to initial positionactuates the support inwardly. 4. A feed carriage for stencil machines,comprising a table for the stencil sheet, a stencil sheet supportmovable across the table having means thereon for engaging the stencilsheet, a housing at one end of said table, a guide way in the housing, aplate attached to the stencil sheet support operable in said guide way,means for adjusting the support transversely of said housing, frictionalmeans for holding the stencil sheet support against displacement afterit has been adjusted, a handle carried by said housing, a verticalsupport for said handle, connecting means between the handle and saidplate whereby said pressure on the handle to return the stencil sheetsupport to initial position actuates the support inwardly, and meanslimiting the stroke of the handle to determine the distance of theinward movement of said stencil sheet support.

WALT O. MARSH.

